| He rides a dawnling, a steed of light and glory, destined to restore. Jakim Ha’Nor will save his people, or so says the prophecy that upended his life and drove his brothers to betray him. Now, he has returned as the dawnrider to fulfill his purpose and reconcile with his brothers—only to find himself embroiled in a war. Captured in the fallout of a deadly attack, Rafi grapples with the ghosts of the past. His brother is alive but no longer himself, and Rafi will stop at nothing to save him. Farther up the coast, Ceridwen strives to reignite the embers of the rebellion to burn the empire down. When Rafi is sentenced to execution before the imperial court, Ceridwen must rally every spear and steed she can for a blistering strike at the heart of the capital. But the empire’s schemes are already in motion, and Jakim’s two missions collide when an unexpected encounter with one of his brothers reveals the true threat behind the imperial thirst for ancient secrets. Hidden forces intend to unleash a cataclysmic power, spurring Ceridwen, Rafi, and Jakim to challenge the full, crushing might of the empire for the fate of the world. Stars weep and ash falls as the tides of battle propel the Fireborn queen, the Sea-Demon prince, and the Dawnrider priest toward a meteoric clash in this thunderous series finale. |  |
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Release Date: January 13, 2026
Release Date: January 13, 2026
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Interview with Gillian
#1. What was the inspiration for this book?
Of Dawn and Embers is the third and final book in The Fireborn Epic, which is a fantasy series where warriors are able to bond with elementally powered horses. I’ve spent most of my life riding, and I directed the equestrian program at a youth camp for a number of years, and it was actually while I was working there one summer that I was struck with the idea for a fantasy world with magical breeds of horses: horses who could breathe fire, vanish into the shadows, ride the stormwinds, etc. Having spent so many years teaching beginner riders, I wanted to create a fantasy series that captured the beauty of the real relationship that a horse and rider are able to develop.
In addition to the concept for the storyworld, the inspiration for each of the main characters’ stories sparked in their own unique ways. For Jakim’s story, which becomes a central focus in this third book, I was inspired by a study I was doing on the story of Joseph and his brothers from Genesis. It’s not a retelling—Jakim isn’t Joseph—but that core set up of that brotherly betrayal and how or when reconciliation might happen kickstarted my imagination.
Of Dawn and Embers is the third and final book in The Fireborn Epic, which is a fantasy series where warriors are able to bond with elementally powered horses. I’ve spent most of my life riding, and I directed the equestrian program at a youth camp for a number of years, and it was actually while I was working there one summer that I was struck with the idea for a fantasy world with magical breeds of horses: horses who could breathe fire, vanish into the shadows, ride the stormwinds, etc. Having spent so many years teaching beginner riders, I wanted to create a fantasy series that captured the beauty of the real relationship that a horse and rider are able to develop.
In addition to the concept for the storyworld, the inspiration for each of the main characters’ stories sparked in their own unique ways. For Jakim’s story, which becomes a central focus in this third book, I was inspired by a study I was doing on the story of Joseph and his brothers from Genesis. It’s not a retelling—Jakim isn’t Joseph—but that core set up of that brotherly betrayal and how or when reconciliation might happen kickstarted my imagination.
#2. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
Out of the three books in The Fireborn Epic, Of Dawn and Embers definitely took me the longest to write. Anytime you’re bringing a complex story to its conclusion, there are a lot of threads to weave together and tie off, and this book wound up bringing four main storylines together. So, I was drafting this one for a solid two years, and the first draft wound up being about 209,000 words (which is a lot of words!). The push to realize the climax that I’d envisioned was a five month sprint where every spare moment was spent thinking, dreaming, and building out all of the interconnected action sequences and emotional beats. It ends up taking up over 100 pages of the book, and I love the way it all ended coming up together, and I can’t wait for readers to experience it.
Out of the three books in The Fireborn Epic, Of Dawn and Embers definitely took me the longest to write. Anytime you’re bringing a complex story to its conclusion, there are a lot of threads to weave together and tie off, and this book wound up bringing four main storylines together. So, I was drafting this one for a solid two years, and the first draft wound up being about 209,000 words (which is a lot of words!). The push to realize the climax that I’d envisioned was a five month sprint where every spare moment was spent thinking, dreaming, and building out all of the interconnected action sequences and emotional beats. It ends up taking up over 100 pages of the book, and I love the way it all ended coming up together, and I can’t wait for readers to experience it.
#3. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I grew up on the epic fantasy genre, thanks to my dad, who did The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings as a read aloud starting when I was five. Those books helped shape my understanding of story, so I resonate most with those sorts of epic, heroic tales that echo with deep themes and characters you can both relate and aspire to. So when I took up the pen, those were the stories I found myself drawn to try to tell. Stories filled with deeply human characters, both male and female, who have warriors’ hearts and fight through their own strengths and weaknesses against the odds. Stories that recognize both the beauty and brokenness of the world and are built on the hope of coming restoration.
I grew up on the epic fantasy genre, thanks to my dad, who did The Hobbit and then The Lord of the Rings as a read aloud starting when I was five. Those books helped shape my understanding of story, so I resonate most with those sorts of epic, heroic tales that echo with deep themes and characters you can both relate and aspire to. So when I took up the pen, those were the stories I found myself drawn to try to tell. Stories filled with deeply human characters, both male and female, who have warriors’ hearts and fight through their own strengths and weaknesses against the odds. Stories that recognize both the beauty and brokenness of the world and are built on the hope of coming restoration.
#4. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
The Fireborn Epic weaves together the storylines of three main characters: Ceridwen (an exiled heir and warrior who is haunted by the ashes of her past), Rafi (a reluctant rebel with a secret identity and a witty sense of humor), and Jakim (a freed-slave turned novice-priest who has vowed to return home to reconcile with the brothers who sold him), and each book allows one of their storylines to come to the forefront. So, the first book, Of Fire and Ash, centers most around Ceridwen, the second, Of Sea and Smoke, on Rafi, and this third one lets Jakim’s character growth take center stage.
Trying to pick a favorite is so hard because I love all of them! And this book pulls on all of their character growth from the past two books so I truly love where all of their stories lead them. That said, I will always adore Ceridwen. She is the type of fierce and driven heroine I would have loved to read as a teen.
The Fireborn Epic weaves together the storylines of three main characters: Ceridwen (an exiled heir and warrior who is haunted by the ashes of her past), Rafi (a reluctant rebel with a secret identity and a witty sense of humor), and Jakim (a freed-slave turned novice-priest who has vowed to return home to reconcile with the brothers who sold him), and each book allows one of their storylines to come to the forefront. So, the first book, Of Fire and Ash, centers most around Ceridwen, the second, Of Sea and Smoke, on Rafi, and this third one lets Jakim’s character growth take center stage.
Trying to pick a favorite is so hard because I love all of them! And this book pulls on all of their character growth from the past two books so I truly love where all of their stories lead them. That said, I will always adore Ceridwen. She is the type of fierce and driven heroine I would have loved to read as a teen.
#5. What do you hope your readers will take away with them when they read this book?
There are a number of underlying themes woven through this book that may hit readers in different ways depending on where they are coming from, and I love that the structure of an epic book that has multiple character journeys allows you to do that. One of those themes is this concept of a hope that’s battle-forged and tested and that you can hold onto even when everything feels like it’s turning to ashes around you. But I also think that Jakim’s story may resonate with some as he finally has the opportunity to face the brothers who wronged him. He has made a vow to forgive them, and he feels like that means acting like everything is totally fine and glossing over the wounds of the past. And it’s only when he’s faced with the impossibility of that, as new and deeper wounds are uncovered and he can’t pretend anymore, that he realizes that forgiveness can only even begin to take place when you’re willing to acknowledge the truth of the hurt that was done. Anytime I’m writing a more difficult or nuanced theme like that for a character, my hope is not that the character serves as an step by step example of what to do. Instead, my hope is that his journey through the complexities of forgiveness might simply inspire readers to ponder what it does mean to forgive and what it might look like to live that out in various situations.
There are a number of underlying themes woven through this book that may hit readers in different ways depending on where they are coming from, and I love that the structure of an epic book that has multiple character journeys allows you to do that. One of those themes is this concept of a hope that’s battle-forged and tested and that you can hold onto even when everything feels like it’s turning to ashes around you. But I also think that Jakim’s story may resonate with some as he finally has the opportunity to face the brothers who wronged him. He has made a vow to forgive them, and he feels like that means acting like everything is totally fine and glossing over the wounds of the past. And it’s only when he’s faced with the impossibility of that, as new and deeper wounds are uncovered and he can’t pretend anymore, that he realizes that forgiveness can only even begin to take place when you’re willing to acknowledge the truth of the hurt that was done. Anytime I’m writing a more difficult or nuanced theme like that for a character, my hope is not that the character serves as an step by step example of what to do. Instead, my hope is that his journey through the complexities of forgiveness might simply inspire readers to ponder what it does mean to forgive and what it might look like to live that out in various situations.
#6. How did you name your characters?
I always spend so much time trying to come up with just the right names for my characters! It usually involves me searching baby name websites and trying possibilities until I find the one with just the right feel and tone for the character’s personality and for the culture they’re from. Interestingly enough, all three of my main characters in this book (and several important side characters too) once had very different names—Ceridwen was originally Gwen, Rafi was Ronan, Jakim’s name started with an S, and Finnian was William—and now, I can’t imagine them being anything but what they are! Trying to picture Finnian as a William probably makes me laugh the most, because it just isn’t him, but then I remember that Tolkien almost went with Bingo for Frodo, so at least I’m in good company.
I always spend so much time trying to come up with just the right names for my characters! It usually involves me searching baby name websites and trying possibilities until I find the one with just the right feel and tone for the character’s personality and for the culture they’re from. Interestingly enough, all three of my main characters in this book (and several important side characters too) once had very different names—Ceridwen was originally Gwen, Rafi was Ronan, Jakim’s name started with an S, and Finnian was William—and now, I can’t imagine them being anything but what they are! Trying to picture Finnian as a William probably makes me laugh the most, because it just isn’t him, but then I remember that Tolkien almost went with Bingo for Frodo, so at least I’m in good company.
#7. Tell us something funny, sad, embarrassing, whatever, that happened involving this book.
This series came about in many ways due to the relationship that I built with my horse, Ariat. He was the inspiration for Ceridwen’s fiery steed, and it is his incredible loyalty and fierce personality (with all his quirks) that readers get to meet on the page. I’d had him for seventeen amazing years, and I was working on the final chapters of this book to meet my deadline when he ended up passing away due to a medical emergency. His loss was unbelievably difficult because he’d been such a big part of my life and creative work, but even while I was grieving that, I was able to write this beautiful ending for Ceridwen and her horse that makes it feel like he gets to live on, in some way, in the imagination of readers. So this book is dedicated to him and the gratitude that I feel for so many wonderful years with such an incredible horse.
This series came about in many ways due to the relationship that I built with my horse, Ariat. He was the inspiration for Ceridwen’s fiery steed, and it is his incredible loyalty and fierce personality (with all his quirks) that readers get to meet on the page. I’d had him for seventeen amazing years, and I was working on the final chapters of this book to meet my deadline when he ended up passing away due to a medical emergency. His loss was unbelievably difficult because he’d been such a big part of my life and creative work, but even while I was grieving that, I was able to write this beautiful ending for Ceridwen and her horse that makes it feel like he gets to live on, in some way, in the imagination of readers. So this book is dedicated to him and the gratitude that I feel for so many wonderful years with such an incredible horse.
#8. Tell us a little about yourself, your family, friends.
I’m an outdoors person. I love living with access to nature, and I’m happiest when I’m out hiking, kayaking, riding, etc. But I also love curling up with a good book in a cozy setting. I am 1000% an introvert, but if you get me started nerding out about historical battles, Tolkien, or the intricacies of storytelling, I can engage in conversation for a good long time before I need space to recharge again!
I’m an outdoors person. I love living with access to nature, and I’m happiest when I’m out hiking, kayaking, riding, etc. But I also love curling up with a good book in a cozy setting. I am 1000% an introvert, but if you get me started nerding out about historical battles, Tolkien, or the intricacies of storytelling, I can engage in conversation for a good long time before I need space to recharge again!
#9. If you could change one thing in your life, past or present, what would it be?
I would live in a cabin in the mountains with access to hiking with my dog and a tiny garden space where I can grow things to chop up and put in soup. That’s my dream life right there! Maybe one day.
I would live in a cabin in the mountains with access to hiking with my dog and a tiny garden space where I can grow things to chop up and put in soup. That’s my dream life right there! Maybe one day.
#10. What one piece of advice would you like to give readers?
Ooh that’s a tricky one. Throughout this book, there’s a call toward an appreciation of the simple beautiful things. I think we live such big busy lives and there’s a constant stream of distraction flooding from our smartphones, apps, and screens all day long that we can lose sight of those things. So my encouragement would be to identify those simple beautiful things that make your life the most meaningful, that bring you joy and allow you to share that joy with others, and to never take them for granted. For me, this year, that looks like a renewed effort to take time away from my screens and with the people and things that I love the most!
Ooh that’s a tricky one. Throughout this book, there’s a call toward an appreciation of the simple beautiful things. I think we live such big busy lives and there’s a constant stream of distraction flooding from our smartphones, apps, and screens all day long that we can lose sight of those things. So my encouragement would be to identify those simple beautiful things that make your life the most meaningful, that bring you joy and allow you to share that joy with others, and to never take them for granted. For me, this year, that looks like a renewed effort to take time away from my screens and with the people and things that I love the most!
#11 Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
I’ll leave you all with my favorite Bible verse which is Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV);
I’ll leave you all with my favorite Bible verse which is Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV);
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the
past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs
up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way
in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
More from Gillian
This is, at its core, a book about hope. I discovered that fact partway through the writing process. Of Dawn and Embers is the cataclysmic finale to an epic fantasy trilogy where warriors bond with elemental warhorses and the action sequences strike with ever-increasing intensity from page one, and I was halfway through drafting it before I realized that beneath the searing visuals, the blistering pace, and the moments that set your heart thundering in your chest, this story sings with hope as a powerful undercurrent.
But you’re the author, you say. How could you not already know that?
Some authors go into each project with a specific theme in mind. They begin fully aware of the deeper meaning of the story they want to tell, and they intentionally structure the sequences of the unfolding plot and character arcs to match. I, on the other hand—while an avid worldbuilder who loves creating layered fantasy stories with multiple characters facing their own paths of growth—often wind up surprised by the overarching themes that also surface through those characters’ individual journeys.
Themes of identity and worth. Of finding the beauty in our broken stories. And, in this case, of hope.
Not the soft and feathery kind, fluttering in your chest. Or the brightly optimistic kind that lends itself to cheerful sayings. But the kind of hope that dares to kneel in the ashes, with blood on its teeth and knuckles, and trust that the sun will rise again. The kind of hope that endures and keeps on enduring. The kind of hope that is as stubborn and resilient as an ember’s deep and fiery glow, waiting to be rekindled with a touch of the morning breeze.
That’s the kind of hope that I find myself clinging to in my own life. Because we live in an age where discouragement can seem rampant, flung in our faces with each news cycle and with every moment spent scrolling on this or that screen.
Even once I uncovered that underlying theme, it wasn’t until I reached the end of the first draft and started working back through that I realized just how deeply it had already been woven into the story. It was there in each breathtaking moment of connection between characters, in the first touch of gold breaking through the cloud-wrack, in the hearty meals shared around a fireside, in the friends who refuse to leave one another to face the darkness alone, and in the loyalty that proves a greater defense than any shield or weapon.
It fairly came singing to me off every page, a reflection on hope at the heart of the book.
On the ache of hope. The seeming foolishness of hope. The defiance of hope. The way hope can feel like fresh air to oxygen-starved lungs, and the way it can cause your chest to ache with the fear of losing it again. The way it holds you up and keeps you standing long after you expected to be on your knees. And the way a lack of hope can leave you grasping for some sense of control, lashing out in desperation to find your own way forward after you put your hope in something that proved incapable of enduring.
In the prologue, one of the main characters, Jakim, compares holding onto hope in the midst of hardship as a candle flame that he has had to grip tightly to shield from the buffeting winds to keep it from going out. And “lately, it had felt like the only way to keep it alive was to grasp it so tightly it singed him.”
If you’ve ever faced the long and aching wait for a hope to be realized, you know what it feels like for hope to sting. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV) talks about how “hope deferred makes the heart sick” but Hebrews 6:19 tells us where we can find that true and lasting hope that exists as “an anchor for our souls”: through the One who stepped into the darkest night in our place and took on our own hopeless state so that He could become our hope.
A hope that endures. That breathes life. That does not falter or fail. That doesn’t slip away. That isn’t in danger of burning out if we grip it too tightly.
A hope that holds onto us.
Later on, Jakim comes to the restorative realization that “Hope was not a candle flame. It was the dawn. Rising again and again after darkest night.”
Rising without any effort of his own. Rising beyond the pain of his circumstances. Rising steadfastly day by day.
And throughout the wild ups and downs of this book, through the aching chill of the dark nights and the resplendent glories of the new dawns, I hope that readers will walk away with that same assurance singing hope into their souls.
But you’re the author, you say. How could you not already know that?
Some authors go into each project with a specific theme in mind. They begin fully aware of the deeper meaning of the story they want to tell, and they intentionally structure the sequences of the unfolding plot and character arcs to match. I, on the other hand—while an avid worldbuilder who loves creating layered fantasy stories with multiple characters facing their own paths of growth—often wind up surprised by the overarching themes that also surface through those characters’ individual journeys.
Themes of identity and worth. Of finding the beauty in our broken stories. And, in this case, of hope.
Not the soft and feathery kind, fluttering in your chest. Or the brightly optimistic kind that lends itself to cheerful sayings. But the kind of hope that dares to kneel in the ashes, with blood on its teeth and knuckles, and trust that the sun will rise again. The kind of hope that endures and keeps on enduring. The kind of hope that is as stubborn and resilient as an ember’s deep and fiery glow, waiting to be rekindled with a touch of the morning breeze.
That’s the kind of hope that I find myself clinging to in my own life. Because we live in an age where discouragement can seem rampant, flung in our faces with each news cycle and with every moment spent scrolling on this or that screen.
Even once I uncovered that underlying theme, it wasn’t until I reached the end of the first draft and started working back through that I realized just how deeply it had already been woven into the story. It was there in each breathtaking moment of connection between characters, in the first touch of gold breaking through the cloud-wrack, in the hearty meals shared around a fireside, in the friends who refuse to leave one another to face the darkness alone, and in the loyalty that proves a greater defense than any shield or weapon.
It fairly came singing to me off every page, a reflection on hope at the heart of the book.
On the ache of hope. The seeming foolishness of hope. The defiance of hope. The way hope can feel like fresh air to oxygen-starved lungs, and the way it can cause your chest to ache with the fear of losing it again. The way it holds you up and keeps you standing long after you expected to be on your knees. And the way a lack of hope can leave you grasping for some sense of control, lashing out in desperation to find your own way forward after you put your hope in something that proved incapable of enduring.
In the prologue, one of the main characters, Jakim, compares holding onto hope in the midst of hardship as a candle flame that he has had to grip tightly to shield from the buffeting winds to keep it from going out. And “lately, it had felt like the only way to keep it alive was to grasp it so tightly it singed him.”
If you’ve ever faced the long and aching wait for a hope to be realized, you know what it feels like for hope to sting. Proverbs 13:12 (NIV) talks about how “hope deferred makes the heart sick” but Hebrews 6:19 tells us where we can find that true and lasting hope that exists as “an anchor for our souls”: through the One who stepped into the darkest night in our place and took on our own hopeless state so that He could become our hope.
A hope that endures. That breathes life. That does not falter or fail. That doesn’t slip away. That isn’t in danger of burning out if we grip it too tightly.
A hope that holds onto us.
Later on, Jakim comes to the restorative realization that “Hope was not a candle flame. It was the dawn. Rising again and again after darkest night.”
Rising without any effort of his own. Rising beyond the pain of his circumstances. Rising steadfastly day by day.
And throughout the wild ups and downs of this book, through the aching chill of the dark nights and the resplendent glories of the new dawns, I hope that readers will walk away with that same assurance singing hope into their souls.
 Gillian Bronte Adams | Gillian Bronte Adams is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, wander-loving fantasy author, rarely found without a coffee in hand and rumored to pack books before clothes when she hits the road. Working in youth ministry left her with a passion for journeying alongside children and teens. (It also enhanced her love of coffee.) Now, she writes novels that follow outcast characters down broken roads, through epic battles, and onward to adventure. And at the end of a long day of typing, she can be found saddling her wild thing and riding off into the sunset, seeking adventures of her own (and more coffee). |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Gillian is giving away the grand prize of
a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card and copy of the book!!
a $25 Barnes & Noble Gift Card and copy of the book!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
Blog Stops
The Lofty Pages, January 27
Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, January 29 (Spotlight)
Artistic Nobody, January 30 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, January 31 (Spotlight)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 31
Blossoms and Blessings, February 1 (Spotlight)
Guild Master, February 2 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, February 3 (Spotlight)
Book Holds and Jello Molds, February 3
Fiction Book Lover, February 4 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, February 5 (Spotlight)
Texas Book-aholic, February 6
A Reader’s Brain , February 7 (Spotlight)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 8 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 9 (Spotlight)
Simple Harvest Reads, January 28 (Author Interview)
Vicky Sluiter, January 29 (Spotlight)
Artistic Nobody, January 30 (Author Interview)
For the Love of Literature, January 31 (Spotlight)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 31
Blossoms and Blessings, February 1 (Spotlight)
Guild Master, February 2 (Author Interview)
Stories By Gina, February 3 (Spotlight)
Book Holds and Jello Molds, February 3
Fiction Book Lover, February 4 (Author Interview)
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, February 5 (Spotlight)
Texas Book-aholic, February 6
A Reader’s Brain , February 7 (Spotlight)
Tell Tale Book Reviews, February 8 (Author Interview)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 9 (Spotlight)